PLANETARIUM CEILINGS, gold-plated bidets and Louis XIV interiors may have fallen out of fashion for new Boeing Business Jets in this economy, but you can sum up the latest version of this private uber barge in one word: more.

Today I dusted off a book that I've had for 45 years: Air Navigation, Department of the Air Force. Flipping through the book-which was a gift from an Air Force navigator, the father of one of my Cub Scout buddies-always stirs up memories. One concerns the time my buddy, Richie, and I submitted unsolicited pencil-sketch proposals for fighter jets to the Kennedy Administration.

Some people call business airplanes time machines because they can dramatically reduce the number of hours and days it takes to travel from place to place. But flying privately does still require you to spend some time in transit. Here are eight ways to use that time more productively:

For most private fliers, the ability to drive to a nearby airport and board a waiting business jet affords sufficient convenience. But what if the nearest airport isn't all that near and you often need to take off on short notice, perhaps for places that are themselves not near airports? In that case, adding a heliport to your home could make sense.

It's no coincidence that the first "business" airplanes took to the skies just as the era of the modern airliner arrived. Progress in engine technology and aerodynamics (resulting in faster speeds and longer range) made it possible by the mid-1930s for airlines to carry more passengers farther and in less time.

Options at the low end of the charter market-single-engine turbine and piston aircraft as well as VLJs (very light jets)-are expanding. That's good news if you've been priced out of larger jets, want to upgrade an automobile or airline trip without busting the bank or are looking to save money on short flights or when traveling without a large group.

Do you own an Apple iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad? If so, you'll be glad to learn about the increasing number of apps that should be particularly useful to business jet travelers. Our sister publication, Aviation International News, has had an app for a while now, and BJT has just introduced one as well (see '

From the dictionary: "intangible:...that which cannot be easily defined, formulated or grasped." When it comes to assessing much of the value in flying privately, that term is dead on. True, there are software programs like Travel$ense from the National Business Aviation Association that can help make a strong financial case for business aviation.

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Quote/Unquote

“What we need to do is always lean into the future. When the world changes around you and when it changes against you—what used to be a tail wind is now a head wind—you have to lean into that and figure out what to do because complaining isn’t a strategy.
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